Sintering machine



Feb. 22,1927. 7 1,618,205

'J. KNOX SINTERING MACHINE Filed Jan. 15. 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Q O a:

Vb INVENTOR 4', Z 6mm A'ITORNEY Feb. 22 1927.

J, KNOX SINTERING MACHINE Filed Jan. 15. 1926 5 Sheets Sheef 2 NVENTORATTORNEY I o v cu 35 a on 00: vvevv Feb. 22,1927.

J. KNOX SINTERING MACHINE Filed Jan. 15. 1926 s sheets s hei et sINVENTOR W 5 6M ATTORNEY Feb. 22 1927- J KNOX SINTERING MACHINE FiledJan. 15. 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR 3 W BY 6M ATTORNEY Patented Feb.22, 1927.

JOHN KNOX, OF CHATHAM, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T DWIGHT & LLOYD SINTEBINGCO., INC., OE NEW YORK, N. Y.,

.A CORPORATION OF 'DELAW".

- SINTERING MACHINE.

Application filed January us, 1926. Serial No. 81,376.

or wind boxes, the upper tracks being sub stantially horizontal and thelower tracks being substantially horizontal or inclined downwardly fromthe ore discharging end of the machine toward the ore charging end ofthe machine, sprocket wheels at the last named end of the machineoperating or moving the receptacles or, pallets. When such machines arerelatively short, say from to feet long, the succeeding l5 pallets, asdelivered from the propelling sprockets, will usually arrange themselvesin satisfactory position for travel alon the upper tracks, because ofcomparatively s ight pressure between the pallets. When such 20 machinesare of considerable length, say up to 60 feet long, it has been found inpractice that the succeeding receptacles or pallets, because of thegreater pressures between them adjacent to thepallet delivery points iof the sprockets at the charging end of the machine, are liable. toassume, at their meeting ends, angularly disposed or inclined p0?sitions respecting one another, in'such a man-- ner that a receptacle orpalletwill engage 30 the adjacent end of'the succeeding forward palletin an edgewise way and it's forward end will notproperly descend uponthe track, due to the resistance of the heavily charged receptaclesbeing propelled. Such inclined pallets then assume what is called acocking position, with the forward portion ofa pallet not only raisedfrom the supporting and guiding tracks but from the wind box,

which permits leakage of air into the wind' 40 box with-a consequentloss of efliciency in o eration of the machine.- The objections aiioverecited are due to the fact that the receptacles or pallets have been sodelivered by the rear or driving sprockets as to remain in operativecontact therewith so that there I was not sufiicient freedom at, thedelivery point of the sprockets foradjustment of the pallets relativelyone to another before they were pushed onto the upper tracks, with a,

. consequent cocking of vthe pallets above referred to.

The principal object of the presentinvention is to provide means forpropelling receptacles or pallets with respect'tolthe outer or rearportion of the driving sprockets in .vide, at the delivery end of themachine,

such a way that the receptacles williproperly ad ust themselvesrelatively ions to another, before being put under the 'Tgreatdriving'pressure necessary to move the top line of pallets so that thereceptacles or pallets will travel 1n proper endwise relation to eachother along the upper tracks and in roper relation to the wind box,whereby e ciency and economy of operation are obtained.

Other features of the invention com rise means for movably supportingthe win box or wind boxes, as well as the dead plate at the delivery endof the machine, in such a manner that in expanding or contracting underheat changes they may move forward or backward without transmittingstressesor strains to the main frame of the machine due to heat; meansfor adjustably supportmg the driving sprockets and the actuating gearingwith respect to the tracks for the receptacles or pal ets, whereby thesprockets may be retained in required set position respecting thereceptacles or pallets to aid in causing the latter to be properlypositioned and driven-' one behind another; providingthe drivingsprockets with one or more roving teeth so arranged that no toothwillcome m a-succeeding rotation in cooperation with the same projection orwheel of the receptacles or pallets; to provide the sprockets withreplaceable sprocket teeth for propelling the receptacles or pallets andreplaceable gears-for driving the sprockets; and to prosprocket wheelswhich are ropelled by the travel ng receptacles or pal etsat the a perparts of the sprockets, and which 'sproc et's,

at their lower parts, engageempty receptaclesor pallets forpropellingthe latter on 1 their return to the charging end of the machine which srockets are automatically movable in the direction of the length of thea machine to properly cooperate with the projectionsor wheels of themoving receptacles or pallets-on the upper tracks in accordance with theexpansion and contraction in a longitudinal direction of the rece taclesor al- I lets due to heat conditions, w ichsproc 'ets also serve. as aregistration-device to insurethe delivery of the vpallets atthedis'charge 105 end, of the machine'in proper relation one to theother laterally and an ularly, as well as to the main drivingsprociixets laterally and angula-rly. I

In the machine illustrated in the aco'om- 0 panying drawin the curvedtracks at the 'rear of the driving sprockets for the receptacles orpallets are located at such adis tance behind the sprockets, as on acurve eccentric to the axis of the s rockets, that the projections orwheels of t e receptaclesor pallets, which are engaged by the teeth ofsaidsprockets for propelling the receptacles or pallets, a're'out ofcontact with thesprockets so that the teeth at the lower and upperportions only of the sprockets engage sald projections or wheels,whereby the receptacles or. pallets are pro elled along said curvedportions of the time s free from the sprockets, and as such receptaclesor pal lets are empt they will automatlcally seat themselves withrelation one to another as they approach the horizontal portions of thetracks adjacent to the upperdeliveryportions .of the driving sprockets,so that when,

the adjacent teeth of said sprockets engage the aforesaid projections orwheels of the curvedtracks;

- Fig. 5 is an enlarged supporting means;

receptacles to propel them the latter will haveassumed the properend-to-end relation for travel along the upper tracks.

The invention also comprises novel details of improvement that. will bemore. fully hereinafter set forth and then pointed out in the claims. jReference is 'to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a parthereof,

wherein j Fig. 1 is a side .elevation of a sintering machine embodyinthis invention;

Figs2'is a detai side view of one of the Fig. 3 is an edge view of Fig.2; Fig. 4 is :a perspecti ve view of a connecting track sectionbetweenthe curved portion and main track;

Fig. 5 is a plan view;

' side view of gear Fig. 5 s an end view of Fig. 5" Fig. 6is -anenlarged detail section at' the receptacle propelling end of i themachine;

Fig. 7 is a cross section, substantially on line 7, 7, in Fig.6;

Fig. 8 is a cross SECtIOD OII line 8, 8, m

Fi I 1 g e Fig.' 9 is a horizontal detail Online 9, 9,

' ceptacles to propel the latter.

longitudinal usual construction, being shown provided with horizontallydisposed upper tracks 2 and lower tracks 3 which I are shown inclineddownwardly from the discharge .cnd

toward theore receiving and receptacle propelling. end of the machine.The tracks maybe suppei'tedonthe main frame in any suitable way. At--arereceptacles or pallets of any .usual or suitable construction,

shown'of the: class provided with removable perforated-grate bars 5.Thetreceptacles or pallets are shown provided with 1 airs of spacedlaterally projecting flange wheels 6 on opposite sides, adapted tosupportand' guide the receptacles .upon'andj along the tracks of themachine in anordinary'way." At the ore receiving and receptaclepropelling end of. the machine driving sprocket wheels 7 are spacedapart and secured upon shaft 8 which is journaled in bearings 9,

having. suitably secured caps 9, supported by the main frame, (Figs. 5and 7). The upper track 2 commences adjacent to I the dead plate 10secured upon the main frame,

- at the charging end of the machine, (Fig.

6),and rearwardly from the deadplate, in the direction of the sprockets7, extend upper track sections 11 upon which the wheels or sideprojections of the receptacles or pallets 4 travel to the'dead plateas'propelled by the upper I delivery portions of the sprockets 7, which,as shown, engage the projectionsti of the receptacles or pallets, (Figs.6 and 7). The lower tracks, 3, at their lowest points, terminateadjacent to the lower portions of the sprockets 7 at the that theflowerteeth of said sprockets will engage the projections 6 of the lower re-Tracks' 12 extend rearwardly behind the sprocket wheels 7 and are spacedapart toreceive the wheels 6 of the receptacles, which tracks arecurved, the lower ends of said tracks coinciding with the lowertracksections 11, and the upper ends of said tracks 12 coincide with'theadjacent ends of the upper track sections 11, in such a manner that thewheels 6 of the receptacles will engage the tracks 12 to be guidedthereby while free from the sprocket yvheels for; delivery to the uppertrack sections 11,'.. (Figs. 1 and 6). The

- 'lower track sections v11, in such amanner llO tracks 12 have spacedconcentrically disposed lateral ways orwebs 12*, 12", (Figs. 2, 3 and7), between whiclrthe wheels 6 of the recep tacles travel so as tobe-guided and be retained in the curved tracks 12, the wheels 6 at onetime riding. upon the lower portions ,ofwebs 12 and at another timeriding up to and along the upper portions of the webs 12 for delivery tothe track sections 11.

The tracks 12 are located on a curve spaced from and eccentric to theaxis of sprockets -7, whereby the wheels 6 are kept out of con- I tactwith the driving or propelling sprockets 7 between the lower and upperengaging portions of the'latter.v

B means of the ar'ran ements describedthe ower receptacles or pa ets 4are pushed;

b the lowerportions. of the. sprockets 7 aibng the curved tracks 12, andas said receptacles at such time are empty they only present the"resistance of their own weight without a load. During the travel alongtracks 12 the receptacles assume angular positionsrelatively one toanother but do not 'force the receptacles that are upon the upper tracks2. When the receptacles have been pushed around tracks'12 and deliveredon upper track sections 11 to'the oint where the upper portions ofsprockets engage the projections 6 of the receptacles, the latter aresuccessively pulled for a distance completely free from each other, andduring such period assume b gravity their roper positions with regar toupper trac sections 11 and the pallet immediately in ad vance which isbeing driven by the sprockets and which in turn drives t elineaheadacross the dead plate 10 and along the tracks 2. v

The sprockets 7 have an uneven number of roving teeth, whereas thereceptacles or pallets 4. have ani-even number of projections 6 on eachside, whereby when said sprockets rotate each'time no'sprocket toothwill a second time and successively come in coactlon wlth the same-IOJGCtlOll 6 of a Q receptacle or pallet, an 'therefore, since givensprocketteeth will not re-enga e the same projections 6 of the receptaces or pallets for a number of rotations -.of the sprocket teeth wear onthe sprocket teeth will be reduced and the life of the sprockets will becorrespondingly increased.

. The wind box or boxes 14 maybe supported on the main frame in positionbelowthe tracks 2 in any desired way and in a well known manner forcooperation with the receptacles or pallets 4 so that air may besuckedthrough the ore in said receptacles into the wind box to supportcombustion of the ore in the receptacles. An outlet opening 15 inthewind box, (Fig. 1), may be connected with a suitable air exhaustapparatus in any desiredtway. There may be one or moreofsuch -windboxes, as usual in the class of machines referred to. v .In the exampleillustrated there are provided a series of wind box sections or castings14,,secu'red together side by side, as by rivets 0, (Figs. 1, Sand 9),which sections or castings-are slidably supported upon longitudinalbars-1, that extend along opposrips 0 extending along the wind box an Inengagement with the'pallets or rece ta cles 4, as they slide over thewind ox, serve to resist inflow or leakage of air into the wind boxalong the receptacles, (Fig. 8). 'The'forward dead plate 10, (Fig 5) issecured to the adjacent forward wind ox section 14, which dead plateslidably rests upon the side bars 1. Since the rear dead plate 1 0 issecured -to main frame 1 and the wmd box and the dead plate 10 areslidably supported by the said frame it follows that the wind box orboxes and the dead plate 10, in expanding or contracting said frame dueto heat conditions -transmitted to the wind box by the heated ore on ithe receptacles or pallets 4.

The sprocket wheels are shown'comprismg wheels 7 having toothed rings 7"se cured thereto, as by rivets,said rings being set in annular recesses7 in said wheels and hearing laterally against annular flanges 4thereof, (Fig. 7), whereby the sprocket rings may be replaced whenrequired. The- 'sprockets 7 may be rotated in any, desired way, as bymeans'of'gears 16', shown de-' tachably Wheels (Fig. 7), said gearsbeing in mesh with pmions'17 secured'upon shaft- 18 journaled insuitable bearings supported upon themain frame, (Figs. 1, 5 and 6). Thefunction of shaft 8 is to support thesprockets, either or both of whichmay be keyed to said shaft, and properlyspaced apart by collar 8 and key8", (Fig. 7). The shaft- 18 -may be driven in any desired manner. Smceitmay be desirable to adjust the sprocket wheels" 7 in the direction ofthe length of tracks -2 and. 3, the bearings 9 for shaft 8 and thebearings 18 for shaft 18.,

secured .by means of rivets to the at opposite ends of said shafts, aresecured upon bars 19, (Fig. 5?), that are slidably supported upon thelongitudinally disposed saddles 19 that are secured upon spacedbeams 1"of frame-1,= (Fig. 7 The beams 1 are-shown in-theform of channel-beamswith 'their'- flanges spaced apart to receive the -Ion 'itudinal rib 19of the corresponding sad le 19, whereby said saddles are retained fromlateral displacement upon the beams 1 The bars 19 may beadjustedlongitudinally and retained in set position by means of screws 20operative-in lugs 21 'secured on saddles19, which screws oppose the endsof bars 19, (Fig. 5'), whereby when said screws are rotated, and thebars-19 adjusted the shafts 8 and 18 will be correspondingly adjustedso'thatl,the sprocket the projections 6 of the receptacles 4, and

whereby such adjusting of the sprocket wheels makes provision forproperly operating receptacles 4 according to wear, heat and otherconditions. The bars 19 may be retained in set positions bymeans ofscnews 22' operative in slots 23 in the bars, (Fig. 5), and working inthreads in the saddles 19. The latter may be kept from longitudinaldisplacementby means of lugs19", (Fig. 5) nested in recesses in thebeams 1". While shaft 18 may be driven in any desired way said shaft isshown'provided with spaced ears 24 in mesh with pinions 25 carried y adr ive shaft 26 journaled in bearings 27 carried by the bars 19, so thatwhen said bars are adjusted longitudinally the gearing 16, 17,24 and 25,with their shafts will be adjusted while retaining therelativepositions. By having the spaced pinions 25 -meshing with'the spacedgears 24, and the spaced pinions 17 meshing with the spaced gears 16,torsional or angular strains are reduced and driving of the receptacles4 is equalized on opposite sides. To equalize driving torque and avoidtorsion on shaft 26 the latter is provided with a substantiallycentrally disposed gear 28, (Figs. 1, 5 and 6), that is in mesh with adrive pinion 29 secured on a shaft 30 journaled in suitable bearings onthe main frame. Shaft 30 may be driven by any desired means, shown asreducing gearing 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, driven by pulley 36, (Fig. 5), orin any suitable way. The construction described enables equal driving ofsprockets 7 and avoids .un-

equal movements of the various parts due to torsional action.

At the discharge end of the machine tracks are provided at 12 leadinfrom the ad acent ends of tracks 2'to t e receiving ends of the tracks3. .The tracks 12 are preferably of the same construction as the tracks12, so that the outer and inner webs 12 12 guide the wheels 6 ofreceptacles 4 to travel from the upper tracks 2 to the lower tracks 3.whereby the receptacles are turned up'slde down and their contentsdumped. Adjacent to the forward or discharge ends of tracks 2 and 3spaced sprocketwheels 37 are secured upon shaft 38, (Figs. 1 and 5), insuch a position f-that the teeth of said sprocket wheels afiFthe upperportion will engage the projections 6 of the receptacles 4 to causerotation of the sprockets by reason of the travel of the receptacles,and when the receptacle's "are upon the lower tracks 3 the projections 6will engage the lower teeth of the said sprockets to cause PI'OPlllSlOIlof the empt receptacles 4 along the lower tracks 3 to ai the receptaclesin their travel toward the driving sprockets 7 additionally to thetendency of the receptacles to travel along the downwardlyinclinedtracks 3 by gravity. The shaft 38 is shown supported to have lateralmovement, in the longitudinal direction of the machine, automatically inaccordance with the heat conditions of the receptacles or pallets 4. Theshaft 38 is shown supported '1n"bearing boxes 39, (Figs. 1 and 11), thatare slidably supported on guides 40 secured -u on the mam frame, suchguides being s own comprising. castings having bases 40 provided withspaced abutments 40' between whic the bearing boxes are mounted to slideframe and weights at 48 depend from the chains, whereby the shaft 38 andits sprockets 37 are normally automatically drawn toward the chargingend of'the machine. By having bearing boxes with levers and welghts ortheir equivalenton opposite sides of the machine for the respective endsof shaft 38 the latter will be substantially equally drawn by theweights, as distinguished from variable tension if springs were usedinstead of weights. When the. projections 6 of the receptacles orpallets that are being propelled on tracks 2 engage the upper teeth ofthe sprocket Wheels 37 said receptacles or pallets will-cause thesprocket wheels to rotate, and when the receptacles or pallets have.passed beyond said sprocket wheels and descend along thecurved tracks 12to the lower tracks 3-,the teeth at the lower portions of the sprocketwheels will engage the projections 6F ofthe receptacles or pallets andserve as a return drive for the latter along the tracks. When thereceptacles or pallets 4 elongate in length under caps 41 secured uponthe abutments.

upon tracks 2, due to expansion of the. re-

.ceptacles or palletsby reason of heat condi tions, they may, bycooperation with the sprocket wheels 37, cause displacement of saidsprocket wheels in the longitudinal direction of the machine toward thedelivery and of'the latter, such sprockets being. resisted bythe wei hts48. Upon contraction of the length of he receptacles or pallets,

due to other. heat conditions, the weights 48 will tend to draw thesprockets from the delivery end of the machine. By described the saidsprockets automatically the means i are adjusted to accommodate theprojections 6 of the receptacles or pallets as may be required foruniform, operation of the sprockets, and thereby strain through thesprockets from the receptacles orpallets to the inain frame is reduced,and improved'results are obtained over'the previous practi ce of havingthe upper pallets drive sprockets journaled in non-movable bearings.'The sprockets 37 are not only areturn pallet drive but are also aregistration device which insures the delivery of the pallets in properrelation one to the other laterally and angularly, and'to the main drivesprockets? laterally and angularly-.-

By means of the-improvements described sinte'ring machines of the classspecified, of

- to adjust themselves-in proper relative positions against one anotherat or adjacent to the propelling sprockets 7 to avoid cocking of thereceptacles before referred to, whereby the cost of operating themachine is reduced and more uniform sintering of the ore is assured.

Having now described my, invention what I claim is 2- v 1. An oretreating machine comprising upper and lower tracks for receptacles,means to propel the receptacles along the upper tracks, and curvedtracks for said receptacles adjacenttoand spaced from said propellingmeansto maintain said receptacles out of engagement with said propellingmeans during travel of the receptacles along said curved tracks. j

2. An ore treating machine as set forth in claim 1, in which the curvedtracks comprise spaced outer and inner ways, the outer ways beingadapted to receive the receptacles on the lower tracks and the-innerways being adapted to deliver the receptacles to the up-- per tracks'.

3. An ore treating machine comprising upper and lower, tracks forreceptacles sprocket wheels to propel said receptacles a ong the uppertracks, and curved tracks spaced from said sprocket wheels and locatedinposition to receive the receptacles from the lower tracksand deliverthe receptacles to the upper track's, whereby thevre-' ceptacles will beout of engagement with the sprocket wheels during-travel along saidcurved tracks.

4. An ore treating machine comprising upper and lower tracksfor-receptacles,

means to propel the recefiptacles along the upper tracks, and curvedacks for said receptacles located in position to receive receptaclesfrom the lower tracks and'deliver the rece tacles to the-upper tracks,said curved trac beinglocated behind the propelling ling means.

means and eccentric thereto to guide the reengagement with thepropelceptacles out of '5. An ore treating machine comprising a frame,upper and lower, tracks for recep tacles, means to guide the receptaclesfrom the lower tothe up er tracks, sprocket wheels' to propel sa1receptacles to and along said upper tracks, gears connected with thesprocket wheels for rotating them, PllliOIlS for actuating said gears, ashaft carrying said pinions, ba rs movably carried by said. frame foradjustment in the direction of travel of the receptacles, bearings forsaid sprocket wheels, gears and pinions supported by said bars tomaintain them in cooperative relation, an adjustment of the barscorrespondingly setting the sprocket w eels' for desired cooperationwith the receptacles, and means to retain saidbars in set position.

6. An ore treating machine aS set forth in claim 5, in which the shaftfor the pinions is provided with a gear located between said pinions,and means for rotating said gear.

7. An ore treating machine comprising a frame, upper and lower tracksfor receptacles, means to guide the receptacles from the'lower to theupper tracks, sprock'et wheels to propel said receptacles to and alongsaid upper tracks, gears connected with the sprocket wheels, gearing torotate said gears, .movable bars carrying said sprocket wheels andgearing and adjustable lengthwise of said frame, said bars maintainingthe sprocket'wheels and gearing in cooperative relation, saddlessupporting said I bars and provided with'lugs adjacent to theends ofsaid bars, and screws carried by said upper and lower tracks forreceptacles,

means to propel the receptacles along the upper tracks from the chargingend of the machine, means at the delivery end of the machine to guidethe receptacles from the upper to the lower tracks, laterally movablesprocket wheels'at the delivery endfof the machine to'be operated by thereceptacles, and means movably resisting said sprocket wheels in thelongitudinal direction of the machine to accommodate expansion andcontraction of the receptacles due to heat conditions.

9. An ore treating machine as set'forth inclaim 8, in which the sprocketwheels] are provided with movable bearings, guiding means for saidsprockets and bearings.

10. An ore treating machine comprising means for .said bearings, andretracting upper tracks, and curved tracks for said r eceptacles locatedin position to -rece1ve receptacles from the .lower tracks and del verthe receptacles to the upper tracks, curved tracksat the opposite endsof the upper and lower tracks located in position to receive a frame,upper and lower tracks for recepjtacles, means to propel the receptaclesalong the upper tracks, a wind box below-the upper tracks, and meansslidably supporting the wind box on said frame.

12. An ore treating machine as set forth in claim 11, in which one endof the wind box is connected to the frame whereby the wind box mayelongateand contract longitudinally of the frame due conditions.

13. An ore treating machine comprising a frame, upper andlowertracks forreceptacles, means to propel the receptacles along the upper tracks, awind box'slidably supported by the frame, and a dead plate attached toeach end of the wind box, one of the-dead lates being attached to theframe and the ot er dead plate being slidably supported 'on the frame.

14. An ore treating machine comprising a frame, means to supportreceptacles for travel along the frame, means to propel saidreceptacles, and a wind box carried by said frame, said wind boxincluding a plurality of sections side b side and a shell connected atits upper portion'to said sections and depending below the same.

15 An ore treatin machine as set forth in claim 14, in which deadplatesare located at the ends of the wind box, and means supporting thedead plates on the frame.

JOHN KNOX.

'to varying heat

